Steve Karsay has built a reputation in the clubhouse
as a pitcher with good stuff and a great attitude. The latest bullpen development
lends credence to that.

John Smoltz pitched back-to-back days July 26-27,
suggesting that his chance to close games might not be far off. After the Indians
traded for Bob Wickman to move Karsay out of the closer's role in Cleveland
last year, this would seem to come as an unwelcome threat to Karsay. But the
right-hander, who came to Atlanta in the John Rocker trade with the idea he
would be the Braves' closer, isn't taking it that way.

"It isn't going to hurt my feelings if John goes out and
saves some games," Karsay said. "Going to the playoffs and getting a ring, that's
important to me."

In beating the Expos 7-3 on July 27, Greg Maddux stretched his winning
streak to 10 games and his walkless-innings streak to a career-high 58 1/3.

Maddux needs 9 2/3
more innings without a walk to match the NL record of 68 consecutive innings
without a walk held by Christy Mathewson and Randy Jones.

Chipper Jones, who has had a sore right shoulder since before the All-Star
break, has been diagnosed with rotator cuff tendinitis.

"It's bothered me quite a bit," he said.

Rest is probably his best solution, but the Braves can
ill afford to give him time off.

Eddie Perez was given the OK to head to the Braves' complex in Orlando
to begin to rehab from shoulder surgery. He'll spend a week there, then go on
a minor league assignment. He hopes to join the Braves in September.

Florida Marlins

The Marlins are one of baseball's best home teams, but
their difficulties on the road are dimming their postseason hopes.

"If we don't get going on this trip, the season's over,"
Cliff Floyd said after losses July 27-28 in Cincinnati to open a 10-game
trip.

The Marlins then lost Sunday, thus dropping 13 of their
last 16 road games. They are 32-18 at home and 20-34 on the road.

The Marlins have the third-worst home attendance in the
majors, ahead of only Montreal and Tampa Bay.

Much of the blame for the road struggles fell on pitching.
The Marlins have a major league-leading 3.19 ERA at home, but their 4.91 road
ERA ranks 11th in the National League.

The young staff has issued a major league-high 226 walks
on the road in 463 innings, compared to 163 in 457 innings at home.

Starter Chuck Smith is on the DL and probably out for the season with
injuries to a ligament and tendon in his right elbow.

It's believed the ligament is torn, but Smith was to get
a second opinion Monday.

In Smith's place, left-hander Jesus Sanchez moves
into the rotation. He is 2-0 in two spot starts since returning from Triple-A
Calgary late last month.

Floyd is having his best season, but problems with his right Achilles' tendon
kept him out of the lineup Sunday for the second time in four games. He spent
2 1/2 months on the DL with a partial tear in
the same tendon in 1999.

Floyd said he didn't think he would need to go on the DL.

Preston Wilson has been on the DL since July 1 recovering from a strained
thumb ligament. He had begun to hit balls off a tee before his first child,
who was born three months prematurely, died July 23. The Marlins are giving
Wilson as much time off as he needs.

Montreal Expos

The Expos hope green grass will be enough to get Jose
Vidro back in the lineup.

Vidro strained his right hamstring running the bases in
the first inning of a 10-2 loss July 24 in Philadelphia. He played second base
in the bottom of the first before leaving the game. Vidro missed his next five
starts through Sunday, making just one plate appearance over the rest of the
week, drawing an intentional walk as a pinch-hitter.

Manager Jeff Torborg preferred taking the slow route
to getting Vidro's potent bat back into the lineup by keeping him off Olympic
Stadium's artificial turf.

The Expos began a six-game road trip July 31 in Arizona,
playing on grass there and in Houston.

Vidro was hitting .284 when he went on the DL on May 20
with a strained left forearm. Since returning June 12, he raised his average
to .340.

Right-hander Carl Pavano could rejoin the rotation as soon as Aug.
9, if his rehab continues without a setback.

Pavano made his fourth rehab start Sunday, his first with
Triple-A Ottawa, after three appearances with Class A Jupiter.

Pavano, who hasn't pitched in the majors since June 24,
2000, will make at least one more start for Ottawa before rejoining the Expos.

Rookie Troy Mattes was optioned to Ottawa after a 7-3 loss July 27
to Atlanta. Mattes, who retired the first 14 batters he faced in his debut June
18, allowed eight hits and six runs as his ERA rose to 6.00.

Second baseman Henry Mateo was recalled from Ottawa
to take Mattes' place. He went 2-for-4 in his debut Saturday.

New York Mets

General manager Steve Phillips sent relievers Turk
Wendell and Dennis Cook to the Phillies for left-hander and former
Braves prospect Bruce Chen, 24, who was in the minor leagues when the
trade occurred, and 6-7 lefty Adam Walker, 25, who also was in the minors.

The move could free up money for future trades or free-agent
signings to bring in offensive help. "That's what I'd like to believe," Mike
Piazza said.

The Mets' philosophy is shifting. Pitching still will be
No. 1, but future moves aren't going to neglect the offense.

"One of the things we're going to have to address is our
offense," Phillips said. "We hope we're not going to rob Peter to pay Paul by
weakening ourselves in the pitching department in order to strengthen our offense."

When the season began, who thought Edgardo Alfonzo would bat seventh
in the lineup? But on July 27 he did just that for the first time since 1997.
Alfonzo began July 9-for-66 (.136) after returning from the DL with a bad
back. The back still bothers him, but doctors believe he should be better by
next season.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies hoped to do two things by acquiring relievers
Turk Wendell and Dennis Cook from the Mets on July 27: They wanted
more depth for a bullpen that has been the biggest reason for the team's turnaround
this season, and they hoped to convince stubbornly skeptical fans, who have
endured 13 losing seasons in 14 years, that the front office cares about winning.

"We were criticized a bit for not spending every last penny
out of spring training, but this is (using up) that surplus and a little more,"
general manager Ed Wade said. "I think we've taken significant steps
to make sure we're in it to the very end."

Wendell, 34, is in the first season of a three-year deal
worth just less than $9.4 million. Cook, 38, can be a free agent at the end
of the season. He makes a base salary of $1.4 million.

The Mets got left-handers Bruce Chen, whose big-league
salary this year is $300,000, and Adam Walker, who has pitched in Double-A
all year.

The Phillies sent reliever Wayne Gomes to the Giants for switch-hitting
utility man Felipe Crespo. Gomes, the Phillies' top draft choice in
1993, pitched effectively at times but never was able to be consistent for
any length of time. He had a 1.13 ERA in April, but it had risen to 4.61 by
the time he was traded.

The Phillies stole their 102nd base July 26, matching their total for all
last season.

With rookie Jimmy Rollins getting a rest July 25, Tomas Perez
got a rare start July 25 and became the second Phillie ever to homer from
both sides of the plate in a game.

Perez had only three homers in 733 career at-bats beforehand.
The only other Phillie to accomplish the feat was another unlikely hero, light-hitting
shortstop Steve Jeltz, on June 9, 1989.

The Phillies swapped backup catchers with the Mets, sending Gary Bennett
to New York for Todd Pratt on July 23.